Positive Locking Roller Stop Device

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a positive locking roller stop device having a rotational mechanism attached to a shaft that allows rotational motion to be transmitted to a work piece, such as a flywheel, in one direction at high rotational speeds but allowing for free-wheeling with minimal friction wheeling of a work piece such as a flywheel with minimal friction when the power source is reduced, preventing the slower shaft speed from reducing the speed of the work piece. 
     The positive locking roller stop includes two parallel disks, one of which is mounted to a shaft and held in a fixed position while the other is mounted to the same shaft on a bearing allowing for rotation of the disk independent of the rotation of the shaft. The free rotation disk has a plurality of spring arm/rollers attached to the surface facing the fixed disk while the fixed disk has a plurality of inclined notches cut in the surface facing the rotating disk, or inclined ramps positioned above the surface facing the rotating disk. The spacing between the disks allows the spring arm/roller on the rotating disk to engage the inclined notches cut in the fixed disk, or the inclined ramps positioned above the surface of the fixed disk in one direction, while allowing free rotation with minimum drag or friction and without hindering the rotation of the device when the energy supplied to the shaft decreases.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a device having a rotational mechanismattached to a shaft that allows rotational motion to be transmitted inone direction at high rotational speeds, but allowing for free-wheelingof a work piece such as a flywheel with minimal friction when the powersource is reduced, preventing the slower shaft speed from reducing thespeed of the work piece.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The most common type of apparatus that operates in a similar way is aratchet with a gear and pawl. A ratchet typically is used to transmittorque in one direction to a work piece but is not practical for highspeed applications. In contrast to the conventional ratchet, the presentinvention allows for the transmission of rotational energy at highrotational speeds while allowing free-wheeling with minimal friction,and without hindering the rotation of a work piece such as a flywheelwhen the energy supplied to the shaft decreases. As energy is suppliedto the shaft and the rotational speed increases the roller stop isengaged to add rotation to the work piece. As the energy supplied to theshaft decreases, the positive locking roller stop allows the work pieceto continue to rotate unhindered until additional energy again issupplied to the shaft by the power source and the rotational speed ofthe shaft increases again.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a lateral view of the positive locking roller stop device ofthe present invention showing an embodiment of the present inventionwith a shaft 8 through the center of disks 1 and 5 with the springarm/rollers 2, which are attached to disk 1, operating on a planeperpendicular to the axis of the shaft 8. Disk 1 is attached to shaft 8through bearing 3. Fasteners 4 are used for attaching the positivelocking roller stop device of the present invention to a work piece,such as a flywheel.

FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are cross-sectional views of the positive lockingroller stop device of the present invention showing disk 1 mounted on abearing 3 allowing rotation independent of the shaft 8, and disk 5mounted on the shaft 8 and held in a fixed position by collar 6. FIG. 1and FIG. 3 also show the inclined notches 7 or inclined ramps 9 whichare inscribed into or raised above the surface of disk 5, and engage thespring arm/rollers 2 attached to disk 1.

FIG. 4 a is a detail of the spring arm/roller 2 showing the spring arm11, spring 12, bracket 13 for attaching the spring arm 11 to the surfaceof disk 1, roller 14, and pins 15 for attaching the roller 14 to theroller arm 11 and attaching roller arm 11 to bracket 13 attached to disk1. FIG. 4 b is a lateral view of the two positions of the springarm/roller 2 with respect to the surfaces of disk 1, disk 5 and inclinednotch 7 cut in disk 5. FIG. 4 c is a lateral view of the two positionsof the spring arm/roller 2 with respect to the surfaces of disk 1, disk5, and inclined ramp 9 positioned above the surface of disk 5, as analternative to the inclined notch 7 shown in FIG. 4 b.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in the figures, the positive locking roller stop device of thepresent invention is a very simple device with few moving parts.

The positive locking roller stop device configuration shown in FIG. 1,FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 is comprised of disk 1 and disk 5 of any convenientsize and thickness aligned on a shaft 8 with the sufficient spacebetween the two disks to allow the spring arm/rollers 2 room for propertravel. As shown in FIG. 1, disk 5, which includes the inclined notches7 or inclined ramps 9, is attached to shaft 8 in a fixed position bycollar 6, so that shaft 8 and disk 5 rotate together. Disk 1, to whichthe spring arm/rollers 2 are attached, is attached to bearing 3 androtates independently of shaft 8 and disk 5, if disk 1's rotation isfaster than shaft 8 and disk 5. The orientation of the disks 1 and 5 asbeing attached to shaft 8 in a fixed position or rotating freely on abearing may be reversed. Fasteners 4 in disk 1 provide a means ofattaching a work piece such as a flywheel.

The size, configuration and number of spring arm/rollers 2 used canvary. The orientation of the spring arm rollers 2 on disk 1 and theinclined notches 7 or inclined ramps 9 on disk 5 to the axis of shaft 8also may vary from a plane perpendicular to the axis of shaft 8 as shownin FIG. 1 to a plane parallel to the axis of shaft 8. The springarm/roller 2 is comprised of the arm 11, spring 12, bracket 13, roller14 and pins 15 as shown in FIG. 4.

When the rotational speed of shaft 8 and disk 5 is equal to that of disk1, the inclined notches 7 cut in disk 5 or inclined ramps 9 positionedabove the surface of disk 5, engage with the spring arm/rollers 2attached to disk 1, and the rotational speed of disk 1 remains the sameas shaft 8 and disk 5. When the rotational speed of shaft 8 and disk 5decreases, the spring arm/rollers 2 attached to disk 1 roll freely overdisk 5 unaffected by the slowing of shaft 8 and disk 5.

1. A positive locking roller stop device comprising: a. two paralleldisks mounted on a shaft 8, wherein a first disk 1 is mounted on shaft 8through bearing 3 allowing rotation of the first disk 1 independent ofthe rotation of shaft 8; and wherein first disk 1 also has a pluralityof spring arm/rollers 2 attached to the surface of disk 1 facing seconddisk 5; and second disk 5 also is mounted on shaft 8 and is held in afixed position by collar 6; and wherein second disk 5 has a plurality ofinclined notches 7 cut in the surface facing the first disk 1, orinclined ramps 9 positioned above the surface of second disk 5 facingthe first disk 1; and there being sufficient space between the firstdisk 1 and second disk 5 to allow the spring arm/rollers 2 mounted ondisk 1 sufficient room for proper travel to engage the inclined notches7 in the surface of the second disk 5, or the inclined ramps 9positioned above the surface of the second disk 5; and b. a power sourceconnected to the shaft 8 to turn the shaft and provide rotationalmovement to the shaft 8, and to the parallel disks 1 and 5 mounted onthe shaft
 8. 2. The device of claim 1 wherein the first disk 1 isconnected by fasteners 4 to a work piece such as a flywheel.
 3. Meansfor transmitting rotational energy at high rotational speeds, whileallowing free-wheeling with minimal friction and without hindering therotation of the work piece when the energy supplied to the shaft 8decreases, comprising: a positive locking roller stop device which isengaged to add rotation to the work piece such as a flywheel as energyis supplied to shaft 8, and which allows rotation of the work piece tocontinue unhindered until additional energy is again supplied to theshaft 8 by the power source and the rotational speed of the shaft againincreases.
 4. A method for transmitting rotational energy at highrotational speeds, while allowing free-wheeling with minimal frictionand without hindering the rotation of the device when the energysupplied to the shaft 8 decreases; wherein a) two concentric disks arealigned on a shaft 8 with sufficient space between the disks to allow aplurality of spring arm/rollers 2 permanently attached to the first disk1 to freely travel across the second disk 5 and engage inclined notches7 cut in the surface of second disk 5, or inclined ramps 9 attached tothe surface of the second disk 5 facing the spring arm and rollers 2 onthe first disk 1; and b) the second disk 5 is attached to the shaft 8 ina fixed position by collar 6, and the first disk 1 is attached to abearing 3 and rotates independently of the shaft 8 and the second disk 5if the rotation of the first disk 1 is faster than that of the shaft 8and the second disk 5.